Kynderly H.

Verified review

I hadn't used thumbtack before when I inquired via a Google search, about finding a good caterer/chef. After receiving numerous responses, I checked out 3 and asked for proposals. As soon as I heard Chef Marcel's voice, I sensed his sincerity and eagerness to please and I appreciated his warmth during our business conversation. While I wasn't able to make a decision right away due to an extensive business trip abroad, I told him I would call him upon my return to the U.S. When I returned, I told him that he was competing against another caterer and he simply said "what will it take to gain your business" and I instantly knew he was the person I wanted. I told him that I would first need to taste his food before a final decision was made and he invited me to his home where inner his lovely wife a baby girl. After tasting his delicious food, I told him he had the job and 2 others, all within a month's time period.
Chef Marcel aims to please and my events have all turned out beautiful with delicious food and caring service.
Relationships and trust are very important to me and chef Marcel along with his wife, are now a relationship that I truly value. I will continue to use his services for the many future events that I've planned while enjoying the additional benefits of working with a "friend".
Give him a call and I'm confident you will choose no other.

Brandi G.

Verified review

I don't even know where to begin! Jose is an amazing caterer and I am so happy we hired him for our wedding this past Friday. When we were first tasting caterers food they all seemed metiocre but Joses was amazing! We hired him on the spot! Not to mention he was the most reasonable price! Then everyone was making me nervous saying that catered food is never as good when they have too cool it in large quantities (we had 180 people). When we got to the reception everyone was already eating appetizers and happy. When Jose spotted my husband and I he came up to us and told us he had made us each an appetizer plate and if we wanted it. Then he came up to me to make sure I wanted dinner served when I had originally asked. I did and he brought us the first 2 plates. The food was amazing! Just as good as I remember! Everyone was so pleased and kept talking about how the food was the best they had ever had at a wedding! That was exactly what I wanted! His bartender was amazing and all his staff was so friendly. The setup looked nice and professional. The drinks he brought were great and everyone was talking about how great the mint water was! Then I ordered cheeseburger sliders and French fries to be served late night and they were amazing! He even brought wings and everyone was so excited! They went fast and by the time I got over there everything was gone. Jose told me let me get your plates and pulled out two foil covered plates. He always thought of us first and without him I wouldn't have eaten. All day everything had hiccups and my rentals were late, everything was slightly wrong except Jose! He really came through and went above and beyond. I will definitely hire him again for any events and recommend him to the fullest!

Hilary S.

Verified review

I needed a caterer for my dad's funeral reception. Spoke to other caterers but Carolina of Gourmet Lover's Catering was the only one who gave her condolences, this meant a lot to me.
The full service presentation was tasteful, the food delicious and reasonably priced. There were no exta added on fees like the other caterers.
I highly recommend Gourmet Lover's Catering, Boris & Carolina are a wonderful team and you will not be disappointed.

Jessica F.

Verified review

Madkins Catering catered for East Los Angeles College bookstore Department. We were having a holiday meeting; Madkins Catering was punctual and the food arrived hot and ready to serve. The staff was very friendly and professional. Madkins Catering is very cost efficient and will try to work with your set budget. I had a set company budget and Madkins Catering was able to accommodate us. Besides the food being delicious we had a good amount left over as well. We have alot more events in the near future, there's no doubt who we'll be using for catering. Thank you Delores and Madkins Catering for making our holiday meeting that much more memorable.

Erin S.

Verified review

I had less than a week to throw together a reception in LA - a city I don't live in - and Chef Mumsie came to the rescue. You have to take a leap of faith when booking caterers on short notice and with no prior knowledge of their work and Chef Mumsie came through! Our reception was beautiful and seamless. The food was delicious and the staff was very professional. They made it so easy for me and my group and the event was great.

Beatriz N.

Verified review

Ana is awesome to work with and you can tell upon meeting her that she loves what she does. You know you hired an Outstanding caterer when food and service is top notch. Responsive and available to answer questions and consider our needs. Food is incredibly delicious!!! Highly recommended

Nycole H.

Verified review

I decided to look for a caterer for my Mom's celebration of life and my internet search lead me to Thumbtack. After inputting my needs I quickly received a response back from Tonya at Sierra Madre Catering with a detailed quote and attached menu. When I called to speak with Tonya I immediately got a good vibe from her voice. She seemed excited and eager to help plan our event and made me feel comfortable that everything would be taken care of. I am so thankful I decided to use Sierra Madre for my event. We ordered appetizers and desserts and they arrived and set everything up, brought their own trash cans and kept the tables clean as people were done eating. The staff was professional and nice and their food was DELICIOUS! Many of our guests gave feedback that the food was great and they even ran out of business cards because a lot of people were interested in having their info. At such a difficult time with the passing of a loved one, these details are important but not ones you want to worry about yourselves and Tonya and Sierra Madre staff took that burden off my shoulders and I am so thankful for that. I will recommend them to anyone in need of a caterer for any event and if I could give more than 5 stars I most definitely would!! Thank you Tonya and Sierra Madre Catering!!

Lisa B.

Verified review

Aioli is amazing! We use their catering every week for office lunches and often for special events. They are very professional and always on time. The staff magically appears with fabulous, healthy food selections. All this for a very affordable price. We love you guys! You are the best in the business and we thank you for all you do! :)

Danielle B.

Verified review

My friends and I hired Segar LA for a private dinner at our home for the weekend while visiting Los Angeles. Our experience with Steven and the team exceeded our expectations!!!
Steven's communication from the start was fantastic. We went back and forth a few times to tweak the menu and he always was very responsive when presenting different options for us to choose from. In our group, we have some with some dietary restrictions and Steven provided excellent choices for them as well.
The food was exceptional! Everyone in the group was very impressed with the food and the service.
Thanks for making our trip in LA a memorable one!!!

Dolores G.

Verified review

I am beyond grateful to Thumbtack for connecting me to Chef Keith Prante and his team at Hautè Productions Events and Catering to cater my mom's 80th birthday celebration. They are absolutely A-MAZING! Chef Prante was one of two chefs who responded to my request via Thumbtack, and I also received a personal referral. Neither of the other caterers offered ANYWHERE NEAR the quality, selections, variety and value that Hautè offered at my price point. We had our tasting today, and it absolutely sealed the deal! Everything was delicious and the presentation was outstanding. I highly recommend Hautè Productions to any potential customer who appreciates excellence, accommodation and genuine customer service.

Michelle L.

Verified review

Chef David was incredibly professional, personable and the food was fabulous. We enjoyed every selection he prepared! He paid great attention to detail and was incredibly knowledgeable of the area to assist us in planning outings for the remainder of our time in Malibu! Thank you Chef!

Andrea H.

Verified review

Zeke Casas catered my daughters Quinceñera, he made Chili verde, rice, beans, fresh salad, an amazing salad dressing, rolls, and salsa. So many people loved the food.. so much flavor with every bit.. there was not one thing without flavor.. the family rated his food as the most amazing, delicious, dish they have tasted. Zeke and his crew are very respectful, helpful, and caring. They take the time out to make sure everything was to your liking.. they left the hall kitchen spotless, like no one had ever used it.. I give Zeke and his crew 10 stars.. amazing job, amazing food, and I recommend him for your next event... never can go wrong with a great caterers..

Steven C.

Verified review

Living Veg provides years of experience to their clients with professional expertise and a committed focus on details along with the personalization to what the client desires. When you add these qualities to the truly delicious food that is delivered, you have a very rare combination in catering that is 2nd to none.
If you are looking for a caterer for any type of event, whether it be a small business lunch for a corporate meeting or a larger event, such as a beautiful wedding or other family celebration, I would strongly recommend that you contact Shelley at Living Veg. You will receive far more than you expect as well as an overall plan that will fit perfectly within your budget.

Laura M.

Verified review

Wow! What an AMAZING experience I had working with Chef Greg. I hired Greg for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner. We had a total of 16 of her family members, and not a single one of us was disappointed. Greg was extremely attentive, and worked with my every step of the way through dietary restriction and a curveball pescatarian. He was extremely professional and he and his assistant, Chef Brian, led us through an incredible meal. We are already in the process of trying to hire him again. The food was phenomenal, presentation immaculate, and our night was epic as promised. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Renee M.

Monica N.

Verified review

Having found La Panzano on Thumbtack, I was a little hesitant to hire since I had never worked with them before. Joseph was extremely accommodating and responsive. He provided a tasting and was able to work with our dietary restrictions. La Panzano catered our office Holiday Party and our 125 staff were all very happy. The food was great! The servers were very friendly and moved the line along quickly. I would highly recommend La Panzano as a caterer and looked forward to having another event soon in order to have some of their other food!

Shauna B.

Verified review

We hired Island Soul for our mothers celebration of life party a week before the event. Luckily they were able to accommodate us on such short notice! Everyone at our event LOVED their food, and their speciality (pork belly) was to die for. They were so sweet and professional. We will be hiring them any time we need catering. Thank you so much you guys!!

Robert C.

Andrew L.

Verified review

April and her crew came in at the 11th hour to save my wedding catering! Thy provided above average quality service and delicious food.
April was happy to work with our specific needs and she delivered exaclty as hoped. I'll be using her services in the future

Manny S.

Verified review

We hired Unique Luxury Catering to prepare a family dinner for 8 for my wife's birthday on our patio at Pelican Hill.Chef Brad prepared a fabulous meal topped off by a scratch made carrot cake that was divine.The reduction sauce with vanilla bean added was incredible to plate everything in. This was a great meal,for a great celebration in a great setting. Unique will deliver a great experience for whatever need your occasion requires.Thanks Steve for providing a great experience !

Q & A

Catering prices depend mainly on how fancy you want the food and service to be and how many guests you’ll have. When you’re first looking to hire a caterer for your event, consider how many guests you’ll have and your total food and drink budget. The national average for event catering is $340, but catering prices can range into the thousands depending on your menu, guest count, and service.

Event catering is a broad term that covers everything from fully prepared, ready-to-eat food that the hosts plate and serve themselves to full-service, multicourse meals, including rental of linens, glassware and other items, with service staff organized by the catering company. Usually a caterer will determine cost based on the type of event you’re having, how many guests will attend, the level of service you desire, and what type of menu you’d like to have. For example, if you have a set catering budget, say $1,500, and you plan to have 50 people attend, that means you have $30 per person for food. If you have the same budget with 100 people, you have $15 per person for food. In this way, the number of people you want to attend your event and the level of food you want to serve them determines how much catering will cost.

Catering prices can range from about $10 per guest on the low end to $150 or more per person on the high end. Catering costs represent the quality of food, presentation, variety, ingredients and service. But catering prices are more than the cost to cook the food that will be at your party; they also include the cost for the company to do business. Here is a simple breakdown of catering prices:

Menu: The food you serve your guests will directly affect the price per person. Organic ingredients, complex recipes, elaborate presentations, or high-ticket items like lobster or filet mignon all add to the cost.

Service: Buffet, family style, plated dinners — how you serve the food affects the cost per person. For example, a true plated meal can cost about twice the price of a staff-assisted buffet because of staffing costs. Hiring waiters, bartenders and cleanup crew will all be calculated into the per-person catering price.

Drinks: Providing beverages and alcoholic drinks for guests greatly increases your catering budget. Hosting an open bar can cost as much per person as the meal.

Rentals: Seating, plates, glassware, etc., will all have an effect on the cost per person for catering. For example, a plastic conference table that seats 10 costs about $6 to rent on average, while a wooden farmhouse table is about $80 to rent on average.

Business costs: Any catering cost will also include the cost for the company to do business such as insurance, employee wages, commercial kitchen space and more.